Eric J. Lindstrom28 February 2008

NASA/US Ocean Satellite Missions

2

OUTLINE

• NASA operating missions (13, 6 ocean)

• NASA missions in implementation and formulationto launch 2008-2015

(9, 4 ocean)

• NASA missions beyond 2015 (11, 5 ocean)

• Challenges/Assessment - Transitions toOperations

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NASA Ocean Missions

SeaWiFSSSM/ISARs (variety)AVHRRMetop (OVSW)Color (MERIS)

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Missions in Development (launch by 2015)

OSTM6/2008

OCO12/2008

GLORY2/2009

NPP9/2009

AQUARIUS5/2010

LDCM7/2011

GPM6/2013, 6/2014

ICESAT-22015SMAP 2012

5

DecadalSurveyMission Mission Description Orbit Instruments

HyspIRI Land surface composition for agricultureand mineral characterization; vegetationtypes for ecosystem health

LEO, SSO Hyperspectralspectrometer

ASCENDS Day/night, all-latitude, all-season CO2column integrals for climate emissions

LEO, SSO Multifrequency laser

SWOT Ocean, lake, and river water levels forocean and inland water dynamics

LEO, SSO Ka-band wide swathradarC-band radar

GEO-CAPE

Atmospheric gas columns for air qualityforecasts; ocean color for coastalecosystem health and climate emissions

GEO High and low spatialresolution hyperspectralimagers

ACE Aerosol and cloud profiles for climateand water cycle; ocean color for openocean biogeochemistry

LEO, SSO Backscatter lidarMultiangle polarimeterDoppler radar

NASA Mid-Term Missions (5/15 total)

6 *Cloud-independent, high temporal resolution, lower accuracy SST to complement, not replace, global operational high-accuracy SST measurement

DecadalSurveyMission Mission Description Orbit Instruments

LIST Land surface topography for landslidehazards and water runoff

LEO, SSO Laser altimeter

PATH High frequency, all-weathertemperature and humidity soundingsfor weather forecasting and SST*

GEO MW array spectrometer

GRACE-II High temporal resolution gravity fieldsfor tracking large-scale watermovement

LEO, SSO Microwave or laserranging system

SCLP Snow accumulation for fresh wateravailability

LEO, SSO Ku and X-band radarsK and Ka-bandradiometers

GACM Ozone and related gases forintercontinental air quality andstratospheric ozone layer prediction

LEO, SSO UV spectrometerIR spectrometerMicrowave limb sounder

3D-Winds(Demo)

Tropospheric winds for weatherforecasting and pollution transport

LEO, SSO Doppler lidar

NASA Far-Term Missions (6/15 total)

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CHALLENGES AND ASSESSMENTS

• In some sense ocean measurements from space are“overdue” for transition from research to operations.

Summarizing the near future “infrastructure” for ocean remotesensing:

• Ocean color - transition not secure due to technicalproblems on NPP/VIIRS instrument

• Sea Surface Temperature - transition secure with NPP,NPOESS and foreign partners

• Ocean Vector Winds - transition not secure (Quikscat 9years on orbit!)

• Ocean Surface Topography (sea level) - transition nearlymade. National need to “seal the deal” withimplementation of Jason-3 in FY10.

• WE HAVE MADE MUCH PROGRESS, BUT WE RISKLOSING CRITICAL CAPABILITIES.